Telescope reticule adjustment



I Feb. 13, 1940- J. UNERTL 2,189,766

TELESCOPE RETICULE ADJUSTMENT Filed March 7, 1959 Patented Feb. 13,

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE 4 claim.

My invention relates to telescopes and more particularly to an improved means for adlustably mounting the reticule or cross-hair support of a telescope used as a sighting device for firearms,

5 that is, a telescopic gun-sight.

In the past, it has been diillcult to so design a telescopic gun-sight that it is possible to obtain the required fine and consistent adjustment of the reticule to correct for variations in windl age and elevation, and, at the same time, to provide a rugged structure capable of 'withstanding the shocks and vibrations incident to the use of high-speed and high-velocity cartridges in guns with which telescopic sights are usually associll ated. Commonly the reticule and its support are adjustably mounted on a system of dove-tail or mortised joints involving substantial mechanical complication, or, if simplification is attempted, a resilient support is proposedwhich introduces 20 variable stresses `under different adjustments and usually is not adequate to take care of recoil shocks to which the scope is subjected in ordinary service. In many structures heretofore proposed, complication has been of doubtful benefit 25 and not justiedby the expense involved.

It is'an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a reticule mounting for a gunslght telescope which is substantially simpler than those of commensurate ruggedness used heretofore, and which is substantially more accurate and reproducible in adjustment than in adjustable means heretofore obtainable.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims, with *u reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of a tele- .scope embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical section of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and n corresponds to a View taken on the line II-II of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the III- III oi' Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view in section of an element of the structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view in section of a modification of the structure shown in the preceding ilgures.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is applicable to a telescope having a tubular body 2, an objective lens 4, an inverting lens 5 and an eye piece 50 6, the latter carrying with it a lens 8 adjustably mounted for focusing in any desired manner.

As is usual in scopes of this character, a crosshair or the equivalent, is used to center on the target, and in the present invention, the cross- 55 hair or reticule I0 (Fig. 3) is mounted on or in a supporting frame I2 in any desired manner. For varying wind conditions, as well as for altitude conditions imposed by the desired trajectory, it is necessary that the cross-hair or reticule 'the scope as by screws I1. The member i6 is provided with a circular recess into which is tightly fitted one end of a helical spring extending axlally of the scope body 2 and has secured at its free end the reticule support or frame 20 I2. Preferably the spring 20 is of such section and resiliency that the reticule support is readily moved laterally by the adjusting lknobs acting in conjunction with members 32, but the spring is quite stiff longitudinally of the scope. AThis permits relatively free lateral adjustment without the reticule support without tilting and sunlcient resiliency longitudinally. to take care of the recoil shock of the gun.

Preferably the spring 20 may be of ilattened 30 material, .rather closely wound as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but it may in some cases be of rounded cross-section as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring further to Figs. 1 to 4, the horizontal and vertical adjustment of the reticule 85 support is accomplished by means of threaded members 22 and 24 screwed through the side wall of a supporting member 26 and the side wall of the scope body 2 into engagement with the reticule support. Eachthreaded member 22 is 40 provided with a knurled head 25 and a large opposite endfor engaging a iiattened surface on the reticule support. The threaded members 22 and 2l are spaced 99 from each other radially of the axis of the scope and flattened surfaces on the reticule frame or support are provided to confront the ends of the members.

It is intended that the area of the bearing surface between the ends oi the adjusting members 22 and 24 and the flattened surfaces on the 60 reticule support be as large as practicable in order to maintain the reticule perpendicular to the axis of the scope as it is moved laterally thereof when adjustments are made.

In order to stabilize the reticule support, a

compression spring 30 having a housing 3| secured to the scope body and a bearing member 32, is disposed to exert a force on the support I2. It will be noted that the engagement of the threaded members 22 and 24 are spaced 90 from each other, and the spring 30 is spaced at approximately 135 radially of the axis of the scope from each of them. The system is therefore properly stabilized. The spring 20 is of sufficient lateral resiliency to make the reticule support follow the adjusted movement of the adjusting members 22 and 24, Without being so stiff that the reticule support will tend to tilt when adjustments are made.

In other words, assuming that the adjusting member 22 is screwed down, the support i2 must move vertically across the face of the threaded member 24 against the force of spring 30. 'I'he same is true for a horizontal adjustment, and naturally follows from the three-point support l of the reticule and the fiat confronting surfaces of the members.

It is customary in devices of this character, to provide a click device to measure the extent of the lateral and vertical adjustments. To that end, it is proposed to mount a resilient spring 35 (Fig. 3) in the supporting member 26 so that the free ends thereof, disposed in recesses adjacent to the knurled heads of the threaded members 22 and 24, engage such heads to resiliently oppose the rotation thereof. It is understood of course that the heads of the threaded members and the ends of the click device are enclosed or covered by a suitable threaded cap 38.

The structure thus far described provides a desired mounting for the reticule of a gun-sight telescope, in that it insures that the reticule support is maintained vertical to the axis of the scope by reason oi the three-point bearing surfaces of maximum dimension. However, in order to take care of extreme conditions, the modification shown in Fig. is suggested.- Here the helical spring 40 is round in cross section and the reticule frame or support 42 is provided with a flattened or plane front face disposed to slide over the confronting face of a recoil-resisting member 44 fixed Within the scope, as by screws 46.

By the construction described, an unusually cheap and eillcient means has been provided for the reticule adjustment of a gun-sight and since modifications in the structure disclosed4 may readily present themselves, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope ci' the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a telescope comprising a tubular body and a reticule support therein, means for adjustably mounting said reticule support in operative position comprising a helical spring within said body and extending axially thereof, means for securing one end of said spring with respect to the inner wall of the body with the line of sight of the telescope passing through the spring,

means for securing said reticule support to the free end of said spring, and means operable from outside said body for adjusting the position of said reticule support with respect to the axis of said body.

2. In a telescope comprising a tubular body and a reticule support therein, means for adjustably mounting said reticule support in operative position comprising a helical spring within said body extending axially thereof and substantially coaxially therewith, means for securing one end of said spring with respect to the inner Wall of the body, means for securing said reticule support to the free end of said spring, said spring being oi' attened material of substantially greater width than thickness, and means operable from outside of said body for engaging the reticule support to adjust the position thereof with respect to the axis of the body.

3. In a telescope comprising a tubular body and a reticule support therein, means for adjustably mounting said reticule support in operative position comprising a helical spring within said body extending axially thereof and substantially coaxially therewith, means for securing one end of said spring with respect to the inner wall of the body, means for securing said reticule support to the free end of said spring, and means Poperable from outside said body for adjusting the position of said reticule support with respect to the axis of 'said body including a pair of threaded members extending through the body wall and displaced 90 apart radially of the body. a pair of flattened surfaces on said reticule support at right angles to each other to be engaged by the inner ends of said threaded members, and resilient means for biasing said reticule support into engagement with said inner ends of the threaded members. ,l

4. In a telescope comprising a tubular body, and a reticule support therein, means for adjustably mounting said reticule support in operative position comprising a helical spring within said body and extending axially thereof, means for securing one end of said. spring with respect to the inner wall of the body, means for securing said reticule support to the free end of said spring the line of sight passing axially through said spring, and means operable from outside said body for adjusting the position of said reticule support with respect to the axis of said body including a pair of threaded members extending through the body wall and displaced 90 apart radially of lthe body, a pair of flattened surfaces on said reticule support at right angles to each other to be engaged by the inner ends of said threaded members, resilient means for biasing said reticule support into engagement with said inner ends of the -threaded members, and means secured within said body for guiding said reticule support in a plane at right angles to the axis of the body upon actuation of said threaded members.

JOHN UNERTL. 

